Arizona silver belt., 1887-12-10
lHIMrARy PR0TEcTl0s AGAINST nos,
 TILE APACMEs.

MILITARY FRBfAEra0A AGAENSf HOS
 TILE APACHEs,
 Southern Arizona Journals have
 seen fit to commend the article en
 titled "Dlstribuhon of Troops anJ
 abandonment of Useless Posts" that
 was published in the issue of the BELL
 of Nov. 2Gth. But tho Prescott Cou,
 rier, in Its usual and peculiar style
 refers to this subject iu n dozen line
 squib as au attempt to urge General
 Miles to remunerate TucsOnites for the
 merited kindness recently shown hun,
 by stationing more troops at Lowell,
 The edltor of She Courier prcfesses to be an old settler of this Country that he has invested his accumulationS for tho past twenty odd years in Ari- sona, and that he has the best interests and prosperity of tho Territory at heart. Ifall thls is so it's pnkind in the Courier to reflect SO severely upon the generous admiration eff, not only the people of Tucson, but of all Arizona, for the successful operations of Gsnl Miles against the hostile Apaehes. We hardly think that the Courier gave the article referred to the consideration 1t merited and that Msrions noted championship of all that concerns Prescott caused bim to speak hastily and without due reaee- tlon
 A brief study of the best policy to pursue in the government of the Apaches, now that it IS decided to keep the Indians located as they arc upon tue White Mountain Indian Reserva. ton, will convince anyone that it is necessary to 50 guard the Indians that it will be next to impossible for them to escape from the large area of conn., try set apart tor their use in tho event of an outbreak, As long as the Gov ernment chooses to maintain the Apaches at San Carlos, 50 long must strong measures be taken to protect the people of Arizona from disas- trous Indian depredations. There are now about $500 Indians at San Car los Agency, and l5Oo more at and near Camp Apache, which post is located at the Northeastern corner of the reser- yation sixty miles by trail and eighty mIles by road distant from San Gar. les. There are some troops sta Stoned at San Carlos, and tho posts of Thomas and Grant, situated south and elsse to the reservation, constitute the balance of tue military forces station ed to guard the counties of Graham, Cochise, Pima, and Pinal from the as. sault of the Indians.
 The Southeastern portion of Yava- pal County and the entire county ofI Gila is unprotected. Camp Mcdowell is lecated ninety odd miles from Globe City and equally as far from that part of S E. Yayapai that was, in 1881, depredated by White Mountain Apaohes; and Camp Verde is farther still from any of the possible points of attack that the raidIug Indians could select, while It, Whipple, near Pres colt, might as well be planted in Washington for all the benefit itI could afford in an Indian campaign. 1t takes three days to travel from Mcdowell to Globe, and six days from Verde to Globe, and communication between Camp Apache and those two posts by direct road that can be speedily trayersed, is impossible owlng to the intervening mountain ranges.
 In eur article of Nov. 26th. we con clusiyly showed that Camp Verde and Whippie were of no value in military operations and tneir abandonment was suggested. If the troops at Verde were moved to the locality of Tonto Creek in Gila County, and post es- tablished on ths western line of the the people 9f Gila County and Touto Basin, in Yayapai County, would be secure in their lives and property, The number of Indians in Salt River Valley is tho pretext for the maintenance of Ft. Mcdowell, but ] 1t, Lowell, from its situation on the line of the railroad, can send troops to | the vicinity of Phoenix in shorter space of time than tho former post could possibly do,
 With a line of troops surrounding San Carlos the Courier would have nc l opportunity of chrcnicling the news ] of Indian optrages committed north !, and west of the White Mountain < aadian reservation, and that paper, no doubt would De amply rewarded for the loss q Verde and Whippls in the satisfaction of knowing that their abandonment affords that security < and protection which we So greatly { noed In this section of Arizona.
 s....a.-s.-a..--..s--s.-.
 The President, in his annual mes sage to Congress, commits the Admin lstration to free trade so far as raw